As we review what 2025 has been for the Africa PID Alliance (APA), we see a period of immense growth, marked by deepening institutional relationships and the successful integration of our core technology, DOCID™. Our mission still remains to secure the future of African Innovation, Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Heritage, addressing the challenge of digitizing research outputs and enhancing global access to African patents and indigenous knowledge.

Technical Milestones and DOCID™ Infrastructure Readiness 

This year, our greatest focus has been on launching and stress-testing the Digital Object Container Identifier (DOCID™) system, our homegrown, African-led persistent identifier infrastructure. We successfully moved from the planning phase to practical application , achieving critical infrastructure readiness and full resolvability of key Persistent Identifiers (PIDs). This means we can now reliably link, access, and cite research outputs and affiliations, regardless of the source type.

To support this transition, we refined our metadata integration framework, ensuring that digital objects are documented with the highest level of precision and cultural sensitivity. Our updated metadata schema now includes comprehensive documentation on system architecture and publication models to guide institutional adoption. We have expanded our metadata properties to include robust creator management and core identifiers ranging from traditional publication data to specialized resource types. You can access the updated metadata scheme here: https://docid.africapidalliance.org/docs/index.html 

The additional identifiers currently resolving through DOCID™ include:

• ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier): Fully functional for identifying the public identities of individuals and organizations involved in creative works.
• Ringgold: Integration of this organizational identifier is ongoing following our partnership announcement with Copyright Clearance Centre (CCC).
• Common Science and Technology Resource Identifier (CSTR) by the Computer Network Information Center (CNIC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: A persistent identifier system for reliable, standardized citation of digital objects, now integrated in collaboration with the Africa PID Alliance to enhance interoperability and discoverability.

Strengthening Global and Continental Partnerships

Our technological advancements were supported by strategic alliances, reinforcing our commitment to interoperable and African-led open research infrastructure.

Among these major milestones was the strategic collaboration formalized with CCC (Copyright Clearance Center) to support the identification of organization affiliations to help improve the tracking of research output from African institutions.

APA also formalized a partnership with African Digital Heritage (ADH). This alliance focuses on deploying DOCID™ system to assign persistent identifiers, empowering ADH and similar institutions to protect the provenance of cultural data and ensuring it remains findable, accessible, and trackable in perpetuity.

In global engagement, APA deepened its involvement with the PID community by joining the DOI Foundation as an Affiliate Member. This affiliation strengthens our efforts to develop sustainable and interoperable digital infrastructure for African research, innovation, and heritage.

On the continent, APA established key formal partnerships this year, including signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with North-West University (NWU) , Joseph KI-ZERBO University, and the National Museum of Burkina Faso. These collaborations, along with partnerships with institutions like Stellenbosch University and the Kigulu Cultural Museum , focus on integrating DOCID™ into research and archival platforms to structure, preserve, and share indigenous knowledge. Formal intent to collaborate was also secured from the National Museum of Namibia and the National Museum of Tanzania.

Building a community of practice

A core component of our strategy is capacity building, ensuring that African institutions retain control over their intellectual assets. This work is fundamentally grounded in the need to ensure institutions are equipped to manage and sustain their contributions through persistent identifiers.

This year, we conducted intensive training and support for our key institutional partners, focused on metadata structuring and DOCID™ integration. These sessions empowered teams at Bugungu Heritage and Information Centre and Kigulu Cultural Museum in Uganda, North West University, Stellenbosch University, National Museum of Burkina Faso and Joseph Ki-Zerbo University.

Beyond direct implementation, we championed the cause of open research at major gatherings, including the International Open Science Forum 2025 , African Plant Genomics Symposium, the 5th KLISC Annual Conference (12–14 Nov, 2025) on how Persistent Identifiers can boost African digital sovereignty using DOCiD™ as a key use case. We also co-organized a pre-conference workshop on Research Data Management (RDM) with AfLIA and Figshare, building essential skills among African librarians.

The momentum we have built this year has laid the foundation for upcoming pilot implementations. We look forward to seeing DOCID™ further solidify its role in ensuring African knowledge is not only preserved but actively recognized and utilized globally. 

We are energized and grateful for the support of our entire community in 2025 and moving forward. We wish you a joyful and prosperous season!

Stay up to date with the latest progress and milestones from the Africa PID Alliance (APA):

Africa PID Alliance (APA) Reports: https://africapidalliance.org/resources/   

Visit the APA Newsroom: https://africapidalliance.org/news/